A Fight Worth Running From
by StanaTorv
Summary: 'Always' Spoilers. They're coming for her and the only thing she can do is run, but will he let her do it alone?


***SPOILERS* This starts at the very last scene from **_**'Always'**_**and continues on from there as to how I see the summer playing out. **

**Borderline 'M' – I don't normally write this stuff, but in order for the story to go the way I want, I needed to go there. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**A Fight Worth Running From**

Maddox sat staring at the photo marked 'Smith', only looking up when the door clicked shut. "Mr… Smith?"

Smith dropped the letters in shock, "Who are you?" he asked as walked over to Maddox, who stood up to meet him in the middle.

He lifted his gun and the photo to eye level, just to double check he got the right person. "You've been a very hard man to find."

Smith stared him down, "What do you want?"

"You have some sensitive information about my employer. Information you've been using to protect Detective Beckett."

"Are you forgetting? We have a deal."

Maddox shook his head, "No." He moved closer to Smith. "What you had was blackmail." Continuing his move forward, Maddox went on, "Now, you're going to give me that information, and when you do, I'm going to put Kate Beckett in the ground. Once and for all."

The two men stared each other down. "Over my dead body."

"Well that can be arranged." Maddox pulled out his gun and aimed it at Smith, "Time to say goodbye."

The shot reverberated through the room and Mr Smith fell to the floor, blood pooling at his back, leaking from the entry wound in his chest. Maddox collected the files from the desk that he had already found and strode out the door, tucking his pistol in the back of his pants.

Smith lay dying where he fell; struggling to stay conscious, he willed his hand to find the phone that was housed in his pocket. Slowly he pulled it out and started to dial.

It rang.

And rang.

No one was answering.

The machine kicked in.

"You've reached the Castle and Rodgers residence. We're not home, leave a message."

The phone beeped.

"They're coming." The blood gurgled in his throat as Smith dropped the phone to the floor, his head lolling to the side, having used his last breath as a warning.

* * *

He pushed her against the door, slamming it shut, before attacking her body. Hands roamed, kisses ignited by the passion burning inside them. He placed a reverent kiss on her chest as he pulled open her water-drenched blouse. The palm of his hand warming the skin and feeling her heart beat erratically.

Slowly, they pulled apart, looking at each other for reassurance. She smiled. A genuine smile and laced her fingers with his. Pushing away from the door she led him through his loft, beyond his office and into the inner sanctum that was his bedroom.

She stood in front of his bed, waiting for him to make the next move. And the next move he made.

Running his hands up and down her body, as if memorising each of her contours, he started to pull off the material sticking to her skin. With each piece of clothing he removed, he kissed her softly, whispering words of love and adoration; affirming that he wanted her just as much.

When she was naked, he took her by the hand and led her into the bathroom before stripping himself and turning on the shower. Feeling it was at the perfect temperature, he pulled her inside, letting the heat of the water warm their bodies. She reached up and lowered his mouth to her own; letting their tongues duel with all the passion of four years of sexual frustration. A habit was forming as he twisted her around and pinned her against the glass of the shower, his arousal evident, as he pressed further into her.

Breaking away from his kiss, she took time to brush his hair from his face. "I love you. I wish I could have told you earlier."

He shook his head. "You're here now and you're alive. That's all that matters." He rested his forehead against her own, kissing her softly against the bridge of her nose, as the water continued to sluice down her face.

She reached around his waist and pulled him tightly into her. "I want you." She kissed him again. "All of you."

"Now?" he questioned teasingly as he positioned himself where she wanted him the most.

She sucked in a tight breath and nodded. "Now."

"As you wish." He pushed into her slowly. It was just them, in the then and now. Nothing could distract them from each other and the feelings they were evoking between them.

It wasn't long before their movements halted and they collapsed into a heap on the tiled floor, letting the water continue to rush over them.

"I love you, Kate."

Placing a kiss on his neck, she replied, "I love you, too, Rick."

Rick pulled her up, both their legs still wobbling. He wrapped her in a towel and worshipped her body as he dried her off. Quickly dying himself, Rick led her back to his bed. He handed her a pair of his boxers and a shirt before dressing himself and slipping into the bed beside Kate.

The pair lay in contented silence, broken only by the sounds of soft kisses.

"I'm so glad you came back."

Kate smiled, "Thanks for letting me back in."

"Always."

Soon, the exhaustion of the past few days overcame the couple and they fell into a contented sleep, unaware that their troubles were only just beginning.

* * *

Kate awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon wafting through the room and the sound of teenage giggling. She stretched her arms out and found the side next to her was cold. Slowly, she crawled out of the bed and padded out to the kitchen to where the sounds and smells were coming from.

Alexis was the first to notice her and her sleepy state. "Detective Beckett!" she exclaimed. "Dad made us breakfast."

Kate smiled as she walked over to where Alexis was sitting on the bar stools. "Smells good, Castle," she said as she snagged a piece of the bacon from the plate.

Rick leaned over the bench and kissed Kate softly. "Morning."

Blushing, Kate looked at Alexis, who was smiling. "Dad filled me in. I'm happy for you guys," she told Kate as she slid off the stool and headed over to the living room. "I'll just be over here while you get all caught up."

Kate laughed. "I think we scared your daughter away."

"Nah," Rick came around the bench and pulled her into a tight hug, "she's fine."

Alexis' voice came through from the living room, breaking them apart. "Dad! You're going to want to hear this."

Both Rick and Kate rushed over to where Alexis was sitting, stony face and staring at the phone.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Press play."

Doing as he was asked, the trio listened to the solitary message on the machine, a raspy voice and a single warning. "They're coming."

Kate looked at Rick, the colour drained from her face. Blindly, he reached for both the girls' hands.

"We need to get out of here, now."

"And go where, Rick?"

"Anywhere. We change our names and hide, as far from here as possible."

"But dad, what about Columbia?"

He stroked his daughter's face, "I don't know. But right now, we can't stay here."

Kate shook her head, "There are others caught up in this too, Rick. Javi and Kevin. What about them?"

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out. Right now, though, Kate, they're after you. And wherever you go, I'll be right along side you."

He pulled Alexis and Kate into his arms. "Until this is over, we need to lay low. Let the boys handle it."

Kate pulled away, "You don't understand, Rick. Esposito was suspended and I resigned. We have no pull at the precinct anymore."

"We've still got Ryan and Gates. As hard as that woman is, she cares, Kate. She'll have our backs if we go in and speak to her."

Nodding slowly in acquiescence, Kate crawled back into Castle's arms, holding him and Alexis tightly. "You're right, we can't do this alone anymore."

TBC

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**So that was chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought. Basically, this will follow Castle and Beckett on their journey during the summer. Fingers crossed I can have it completed by September. That second part of this chapter was just a little experiment I took with my writing, I hope it came across the way I had intended, in that it wasn't until they said 'I love you' names had no meaning to them. It makes sense in my head. **

**That episode left me and my feelings all confused. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel. **


End file.
